TIBET 1950-2010: 60 years of occupation

Friday, March 05 2010 @ 10:38 am GMT

Events in London to commemorate the 51st Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising in Lhasa

Saturday 6 March: Tibet Freedom March & Rally
Wednesday 10 March: Protest opposite Chinese Embassy
Wednesday 10 March: Wreath laying at Memorial to Innocent Victims, Westminster Abbey
Wednesday 10 March: Mass Lobby for Tibet at House of Commons, Westminster

Further details below

Saturday 6 March: TIBET FREEDOM MARCH & RALLY

March assembly point: Opposite Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London, W1B 1JL
Time: Assemble 11.00am. March commences 11.30.
Organised by a coalition of UK Tibet groups, this annual freedom march for Tibet marks the 51st Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising. It is two years on from the protests and demonstrations in Tibet in the spring of 2008, that led to the death of over 200 Tibetans, with thousands more detained, summarily tried and draconian sentences being meted out. Two young Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Mr Loyak, received death sentences and were executed in October 2009. Today over 1,000 Tibetans remain unaccounted for. This march will be one of many being staged worldwide.
Key messages: “Tibetans have no voice in Tibet”; “China: stop silencing Tibetans”; “Britain: stand up for Tibetans in Tibet”; “Stop the torture in Tibet”; Tibetans’ messages: “China stole my land, my voice, my freedom”.

Rally outside Foreign Office, King Charles Street: from approx 12.45pm.
Speakers to include representatives of the Tibetan community. At the beginning of the march a letter from the coalition groups will be delivered to the new Chinese Ambassador. A letter to the Prime Minister will be delivered to 10 Downing Street.

Wednesday 10 March: PROTEST

Opposite Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London, W1B 1JL
Time: 11.00am-12.00pm
A protest outside the Chinese Embassy to mark the 51st Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising, 60 years of occupation and the continuing repression and subjugation of Tibet. The 10 March message from the Dalai Lama will be read out.

Wednesday 10 March: WREATH LAYING AT MEMORIAL TO INNOCENT VICTIMS, WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Memorial to Innocent Victims, outside the Great West Door, Westminster Abbey
Time: 1.45pm
A wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of those who have lost their lives or suffered torture and imprisonment as a result of China’s occupation of Tibet since 1950. The service will be conducted by Canon Robert Wright from Westminster Abbey and Geshe Tashi Tsering from Jamyang Buddhist Centre. (Arranged by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet and Tibet Society).

Wednesday 10 March: MASS LOBBY AT HOUSE OF COMMONS, WESTMINSTER

Central Lobby, House of Commons, Westminster
Time: from 2.30pm
Following from the very successful inaugural Tibet Mass Lobby in 2009, a coalition of UK Tibet groups have organised a second Tibet Lobby at Westminster to commemorate the Uprising and call on MPs to take action on their constituents’ urgent concerns about Tibet. For further details on the Lobby and the Lobby Asks please contact members of the coalition as shown below.